Give oysters a bright future!

In January 2017, the North Carolina Coastal Federation launched its 50 Million Oyster Initiative, a three-year campaign to restore 50 million oysters in North Carolina waters.

By 2020, the federation and its partners plan to create 50 new acres of oyster sanctuary throughout North Carolina. With each acre supporting approximately one million oysters, there will be 50 million oysters supporting many different species of fish and wildlife. And with each oyster capable of filtering 50 gallons of water per day, those 50 million oysters will filter 2.5 billion gallons of water — every single day.

The 50 Million Oyster Initiative puts all of oysters’ many benefits to work, short-term and long-term. It provides jobs for contractors, fishermen, construction workers, truck drivers and many others during the construction of the reefs. After the reefs are completed, the initiative will improve fish habitat and water quality, which benefits both commercial and recreational fishermen, the tourism industry and the coastal environment as a whole for years to come.

The Swan Island Oyster Sanctuary project will continue in 2019 with support from NOAA and the North Carolina General Assembly. Project partners plan to expand the sanctuary site by an additional 10 acres.